The political legacy of General De Gaulle to overcome political deadlock and decline

Jacques Godfrain, former minister between 1995 and 1997, is the honorary president of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation. Lionel Tourtier is a member of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation convention.

For us, authentic Gaullists – those who fully recognize themselves in the ideas, method, and ambition of the General – the situation of our nation has entered a critical phase. We have “problems in France” due to the crisis of democratic confidence, the weakening of our sovereignty, our loss of international influence, which is sorely lacking in the context of current conflicts, industrial decline, insecurity, precariousness, and the progressive reduction of freedoms.

It would be easy to succumb to nostalgia or systematic denunciation, but the stakes are higher: reconnect with our history to give it a contemporary extension. As the General reminded us: “France is only truly herself in the first rank; only vast enterprises are likely to compensate for the elements of dispersion that its people bear within themselves.”

Do we still have the means for such ambition? Yes, still for a time. Do we have the will and courage? It is up to each of us to take a stance, in responsibility towards our ancestors and descendants.

The four keys to recovery

In 1958, General de Gaulle set out this simple diagnosis: “The Republic can only survive if the state is strong and legitimate, and if the people recognize themselves in its institutions.” Today, four keys appear essential to meet these requirements: sovereignty, subsidiarity, arbitration, and participation.

Sovereignty: from a European political project to a normative drift?

Europe was built on a founding misunderstanding because from the beginning, two visions clashed. On one side, a political Europe of states, based on voluntary cooperation. On the other, a supranational Europe, based on delegation…